


The End Of Time

by sksdwrld



Series: Comment_Fic and Drabble-prompt fills [34]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Future Fic, Gen, Once and Future King
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-10
Updated: 2014-05-10
Packaged: 2018-01-24 05:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1593467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sksdwrld/pseuds/sksdwrld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Earth's days are numbered and Merlin wonders how things will end for him, if they ever do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End Of Time

The End of Time was never meant to be a tangible thing. It had always been a euphemism signalling the passing of innumerable years. One might have said it was synonymous with 'Forever' but facing it now, Merlin could see that they were at odds.

It was a collision of cliches. The Last Man On Earth. Until My Dying Day. With My Last Breath. And here he was, standing in front of the boiling lake of Avalon, played for a fool by a dragon, long dead and gone but still laughing at him from somewhere beyond the grave.

The Once And Future King was nothing more than a memory. A legend in the best of times and a sad mockery of a great man in the worst of them. Merlin could bear it no longer. Arthur was never coming back. And even if he did, to what? The dying star of a Sun that would roast the earth black before involuting and sucking the entire solar system into its vacuous hole?

Merlin wondered if he laid down and let it happen, would he die? Or would his consciousness go on, pondering and wishing and hoping as it floated in the blackness somewhere? Would he be reincarnated to live another lifetime? Would he find Arthur in the afterlife? Would there be peace in nothingness?

As he contemplated, the atmosphere parted around some form of debris and Merlin laughed. If the sky was falling, then surely, he was Chicken Little. It came swiftly toward him and as it neared, he saw it was protected from burning by a blue, glowing forcefield. Not universal trash, then, but something more.

Unafraid but fascinated, he stared on. A large vessel landed very near to him with only a mild disruption of the stifling air around him. The forcefield disengaged and a door opened. In its wake was an anthropoid form and it beckoned to him. Merlin laughed. Of course, there should be no end for The Great Emrys, destined to suffer eternity for failing destiny.

He approached and was addressed by the being in some sort of protective suit. The face of its helmet was mirrored and Merlin saw only his own reflection. "You are the only surviving creature on this planet. We offer you refuge and asylum aboard our ship."

Merlin looked toward the lake and was filled with longing and anguish. He wasn't sure, after all this time, that he could leave. There was still a shred of him that held out hope, and he hadn't died yet, somehow, beyond all possibilities. Shaking his head, Merlin stepped back. "I have to stay. I have to. I'm waiting for someone."

"You are the humanoid known as Merlin," the being said.

Merlin nodded but arched a brow. "How do you know that?"

"The Oracle, Kilgarrah, told us that we would find you here."

"Kilgarrah?" Merlin laughed. He must be delirious. It was the end after all.

"We are to return you to our home planet, Albion, located in the Camelot sector of The Round Universe. We have been instructed to use force, if necessary."

Doubling over, Merlin laughed even harder, and that was difficult given the quality of air these days.

A hand reached out, grabbed Merlin, and dragged him aboard. The door shut behind him and realization that he was about to be taken away washed over him. With a shout, he began to beat on the door and the being that moved to stand in front of it. As the vessel began to hover, Merlin lost his balance and skidded along the floor with a shout.

The cabin pressure changed and cooled significantly and the being pressed a configuration of buttons on its arm panel. The mirrored mask slid back, revealing an aqualine nose, ice blue eyes, and plush pink lips that Merlin had seen only in his dreams for millennia. He stopped flailing and gaped as tears filled his eyes.

"Have you always been this much of an idiot?"

The once familiar look of disdain made Merlin's heart soar and he choked back a sob for only a moment. Then, arms embraced him, lifted him, supported him and he couldn't contain himself a moment longer.

As Merlin clung to him, he felt thousands of years weight drain from him, to be replaced with a weightless, giddy sensation. Wherever he was going, it was home.


End file.
